I will host in Shoreline if my garden is convenient for everyone or most. We are right next to Shoreline Community College and I have lots of room. We can do a potluck lunch. I have hosted several swap events and everyone has a great time. Super way to meet fellow gardeners and share plants. Later in spring or early summer is when the hydrangeas are in bloom or starting to show color.

Sounds like a good start. I am about 30 miles from Shoreline so that could work.

This sounds really cool. So do you divide your perennials that you want to take in early spring then? Hydrangeas were mentioned. Is spring a good time to take cuttings to exchange hydrangeas also?

I have found that Fall and Spring are good for propagating. I have taken cuttings at almost all times of the year. The technique seems to be more important than the time of year. Some are easy to root and some are a little more tricky, but I have around 50++ different cultivars just pot up more of the ones that are fussy so I still get cuttings to strike.

The other perennials in the garden are divided when someone wants a plant rather than by the calendar. lol I will be happy to show anyone at the swap how I do it. We do around 50 or more hydrangea cuttings every year for our garden club sales. I will post a list of things to bring to save any cuttings that are shared. Nothing fancy, just stuff that everyone has at home.

Seniorballon,

can you post this to the kitchen table, hydrangea forum and fuchsia forum? Thanks. I don't seem to be able to because I am not the author.

Spswash- thank you for that explanation! I’m not too far away and hope I can attend.

Hmm, it will only let me add up to 3, so i was able to add the Hydrangea forum. I wonder is there is a way to add the other forums, or we may need another post.

I have been learning and doing cuttings for the lasts few years. Mostly fall cuttings. Some success and some failures. Look forward to seeing how others are doing it and learning more. Have had the best success with roses, while blueberries have been the hardest. I am trying some physocarpus this year and they don't look to good at the moment. I have found, with fall cuttings, you really don't know until spring if they are going to make it. We shall see.

@spswash are you using rooting hormone? If so, do you have a favorite type or brand? I've been using HydroDynamics Clonex Rooting Gel.

SB, I'd do a second posting :-) You skipped the primary forum for this topic - Northwest Gardening. Very few members seem to bother with the Exchange forums these days and the other forums play to a global rather than regional audience.

I have nothing to trade or exchange but I'd be delighted to come......if only to see old friends or meet new ones!!.

Done and done. I added the "fuchsia" forum. @spswash What is the tag for the "kitchen table" forum? When I type in "kitchen" there is just a "kitchen" forum.

The Kitchen Table

Hmm, it won't let me add "The Kitchen Table" as a tag when I edit the post. Other than making another post, is there a way to tag it in this thread?

@spswash "

"I will post a list of things to bring to save any cuttings that are shared. Nothing fancy, just stuff that everyone has at home."

Does this mean we can take cuttings from our gardens, bring them to the swap for people to try to root? How long after a cutting has been taken from the pant can you wait until it must be put in a rooting medium?

In my own rooting attempts I always do it immediately. Last year we had a garden tour gathering/cuttings party. Some cuttings were collected during the tour, and others were brought from peoples gardens. The latter were several hours old by the time we returned to pot things up. They were kept moist and wrapped up out of the sun. I did not have great success from this event. Who knows why, but only one hydrangea and one blueberry put out roots. Those two are in the greenhouse now and I hope they have survived the winter. We shall see.

I do hope this comes together as I look forward to seeing other peoples techniques. You can only glean so much from reading or watching YouTube videos.

SB, I think we should include cuttings - but hopefully with identification of the plant that the cuttings were taken, Fresh cuttings are good, but some held over for a few hours should not cause a rooting issue. At least I have found that true. I have used cuttings that laid in the driveway for a couple of days and they did strike (root). Years ago, I took tip cuttings in early spring, used powdered rooting hormone, heat mat, perlite medium, covers and misting. Strike % about 90%. A lot of work and time to accomplish. All of these are processes for commercial growers and I am a home gardener. It was much easier to use my method and make more cuttings to make up for the ones that croaked!`

Sorry, forgot to add the hormone that I use.

DIP 'N GROW. Have used both the liquid and power interchangeably.

Sounds good to me, I'm game to try anything. I think my lack of success had as much to do with my rooting medium and general treatment than that they weren't potted quickly.

This year I did set up a misting system, nothing to complex. Not sure if it helped with this years cuttings and only time will tell.

I want to add some bottom heat eventually.

I can also bring some rooting medium and pots if anyone needs some.

It sounds interesting and a great chance to meet new friends. I'm a novice gardener and just started my garden in 2020. I mostly grow roses (about 170 varieties now), but don't have any perennial mature enough to divide yet.

170 roses in 2 1/2 years sounds like a lot of gardening. :o), I'd say everyone is welcome even if you don't have much or anything to swap this year.

morz8, come and graze my garden for something that will survive in your garden. People will bring plants and not expect to trade - just want to share. It will be fun and we look forward to sharing your experiences.

I am one of those people that would just bring plants and not want anything in return. We're looking at moving to a smaller place in a few years so I'm starting to clear some things out. I would bring a few citrus trees, a fig, adenium, chestnut seedlings and other stuff. But some of these are pretty large, a person would need a pickup truck to bring them home so I'm not sure that would work.

I have a truck and a bad back :o), but you never know who might show up and what they're into. I say bring them.

Bumping to keep this visible. End of May or early June perhaps? What time frame are people thinking about?

We have a family member coming in June so May is more convenient for me.

When we get a little closer we will pick some dates and see what works best for most people. Your family member would certainly be welcome. :o)